Meet Nathan Crofts
Nathan has stepped up huge by taking the leap to Jazz I and handling business on sax so well on short notice. He also plays bassoon in Symphonic Band and picked up trombone for Jazz III. Nathan works hard and is always helpful.
Instruments: Saxophone, bassoon, and trombone
Which non-music classes are you excited about next year? Minus music, probably German III. I like the people there and studying a language like German is a fun experience.
Which course are you dreading? Math. It’s mostly because I think of what parts of math we are going to miss this year that we will need next year.
Favorite teacher outside of the Music Department: This is difficult. It has to be between Mr. Sadowsky, Herr Stolte, and Mr. Taketa. I can’t choose between them. They are all incredibly kind and fun.
What piece of music have you spent the most time practicing? “Minuano.” It’s definitely because of the clarinet parts. Other than “Minuano,” I’ve been practicing “Do It Again” and “A Tone Parallel To Harlem.”
Favorite musical piece/tune from this school year? Without a doubt “Minuano.” It’s just a fun tune to play and is easily my favorite piece of music, of all time.
What part of the ACHS Music program has had the most impact on you and why? The people. We are all very close to each other, and we all like music. We care about each other and have fun. And spending time with people of a higher skill level really helps me learn new skills and improve my ability. We are a very large family.
With all of this time in quarantine, I have been ... practicing lots. I spend about 3-5 hours a day in hour increments. I start with scales and other technique exercises like arpeggios, long tones and other specific jazz techniques like enclosure and approach note exercises. Then, I take a break and come back to practice Jazz One stuff. Every other day I switch between Jazz One stuff and Clarinet. Then the last hour or two is technique for bassoon. A lot of technique studies for bassoon. Octaves, Arpeggios, etc. I mix all this in with schoolwork among other things.
What I've been watching in quarantine: I haven’t been watching a lot of shows, unless you count “Tiny Desk.” I have watched a few pandemic type movies, though.